Implications for Theory and Practice - ippa.org - International Public ...

328 SNIDER & RENDONillustration of elementary/secondary school education policies, wenote the variables and metrics chosen in each element. Beforepublic procurement policy can be studied in a similarly rigorous way, itremains for public procurement researchers to determine appropriatevariables, metrics, and hypotheses concerning their relationships.In performing this research, the authors were again reminded ofpublic procurement’s importance in its pervasive influencethroughout society. The effects of public procurement are felt in manydifferent substantive policy areas – defense, education, energy,transportation, environment, and health care, to name just a few.Public procurement policy is a principal determinant of outcomes ineach of those areas. Thus, it would seem to deserve the same extentof executive and academic attention that is paid to other areas ofpublic administration such as budgeting and financial management,human resource management, and information management.ACKNOWLEDGMENTSThe authors gratefully acknowledge the support of Rear AdmiralJames B. Greene (U.S. Navy, retired) and Ms. Karey L. Shaffer of theNaval Postgraduate School’s Acquisition Research Program.REFERENCES“$236 Million Cruise Ship Deal Criticized.” (2005, September 28).Washington Post: A01.Arrowsmith, S. (1995, April). “Public Procurement as an Instrument ofPublic Policy and the Impact of Market Liberalisation.” LawQuarterly Review, 111: 235-284.Arrowsmith, S. & Hartley, K. (Eds). (2002). Public Procurement (Vols.1 & 2). Northampton, MA: Elgar.“Bases Lose Some Control Over Purchases.” (2008, January 14). AirForce Times.Bertalanffy, L.v. (1968). General System Theory: Foundations,Development, Applications. New York: George Braziller.Bolton, P. (2006). “Government Procurement as a Policy Tool inSouth Africa.” Journal of Public Procurement, 6 (3): 193-217.